Robert Pelton: American Taliban fighter 'very gentle'

Robert Pelton interviewed American Taliban fighter John Walker.

(CNN) -- Writer Robert Pelton made worldwide news this past week when he got an exclusive interview with John Walker, the American 20-year-old who turned up fighting for the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Howard Kurtz, host of CNN's "Reliable Sources," questioned Pelton Saturday about that interview.

HOWARD KURTZ: The world got an up-close and personal look at a wounded John Walker this week, the young American Taliban fighter who remains in U.S. military custody, but whose fate is still undecided. The interview, which was touted as a CNN exclusive, was conducted by author Robert Pelton. And joining us now is Robert Pelton.

You were described in this interview ... as a CNN contributor. Do you consider yourself a journalist?

ROBERT PELTON: No, I'm an author. I've never had aspirations to be a journalist because it's a tough job, pays very little, and basically I travel around the world, meet interesting people, and try to find out more about what makes people tick.

KURTZ: ... Let's take a look at one thing that you told John Walker during that session.

VIDEO Journalist Robert Young Pelton interviews American Taliban John Walker in Afghanistan (Part 1) (December 19) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) Walker interview (Part 2) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) Walker interview (Part 3) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)   MORE STORIES Walker interviewed by CNN: Prison uprising was 'a mistake'    EXTRA INFORMATION Treason as defined by the U.S. Constitution Article III, Section 3

(On videotape) PELTON: I've traveled with jihad groups to various places and...

JOHN WALKER: Are you yourself Muslim?

PELTON: No, unfortunately, I'm not. But I respect the cause and I respect the call. But I'm just interested to find an American, because when I met the other prisoners, who are in very bad shape, they seemed to be from a number of very poor countries. (End videotape)

KURTZ: What did you mean, Robert Pelton, when you said "I respect the cause" of Islamic jihad?

PELTON: Well, I didn't say "Islamic jihad." I said I "respect the cause." One of the pillars of Islam is "jihad," or "struggle," and like many religions, it is a foundation of their belief. So, I do respect that.

Secondly, the call, which is a newer form, ... is people going to help other people in need.

KURTZ: Do you think that one of the reasons perhaps that John Walker agreed to talk to you is that he had the impression that you were sympathetic to Islam or sympathetic to what he was doing?

PELTON: Well, the reason John Walker talked to me is because is I think I was a human being who was interested in his plight. Obviously, you don't see the entire tape, but if you looked at the beginning of the tape, what I'm asking him simply is: Would he like to send a message to any loved ones, or his parents?

Secondly, I ask him: Would you like attention from an American-trained medic?

KURTZ: You, a few years back, interviewed the leader of the Taliban, Mullah Omar. So this is not an unfamiliar subject to you -- the Taliban, jihad, Islam and so forth.

PELTON: Well, I set up an interview of Mullah Omar and the other leaders and I was with the Taliban in 1995. I've been with a number of military groups and fundamentalists groups. ...

KURTZ: You asked him [Walker] a number of questions, and you certainly got some interesting answers, and that footage has been played around the world. But why did you not ask John Walker what he thought of the September 11 attacks, or whether he felt that he'd betrayed his country?

PELTON: Well, first of all, you don't get a lot of news coverage when you're out in the front lines in a place like Takhar province.

Secondly, I wasn't there to politicize or ask his opinions about politics. I wanted to know, first of all, how he was doing physically, because he was in very bad shape when I first met him. And secondly, I was just asking him questions that I personally was interested in.

KURTZ: You say you don't want to politicize the interview, but isn't that the question that every American would want to know the answer to: How does somebody who grew up in Marin County, California, end up fighting for the Taliban, and whether he feels like some kind of traitor to America? It's not a political question, it's a factual question.

PELTON: No, I think the conversation we had is pretty straightforward. Here's a man in the hospital receiving medical care while I'm talking to him. Toward the end of the interview, obviously, he was under the influence of morphine. But the bottom line is: I had a conservation with him. I wasn't trying to muck-rake or set him up in any way.

KURTZ: The New York Post reported the other day that during an online discussion recently, you said that you didn't think there was any such thing as terrorism. Can you explain a little bit about your views on that?

PELTON: Well, terrorism is a label used by a variety of groups, whether they be American or Palestinian or Chechnyan or whatever, to simply demonize the actions of other people. I think you have to look past that statement and you have to look at the acts as being either criminal, political, religious, or otherwise.

KURTZ: So, flying planes into the World Trade Center is not terrorism, in your view? Terrorism is not an appropriate label for killing thousands of innocent civilians?

PELTON: I think you're putting words in my mouth. I didn't say that. I think flying airplanes into the World Trade Center is the ultimate act of criminality, and that strikes terror into the hearts of many people.

KURTZ: OK. Based on the time that you spent with John Walker, what impression did you have? Do you believe that he was a traitor? Or do you believe, as some have speculated, that maybe he was just a confused 20-year-old kid?

PELTON: Well, first of all, when I met John Walker, I had no proof he was an American. He actually sounded Austrian to me. He has a very strange accent, and my questions were really more about how he got there and why he was fighting with the Taliban.

In terms of him being a traitor: You know, that's irrelevant to me ... because I was trying to find out if he was an American, first of all. He might have been a citizen of another country.

KURTZ: So, did you form any judgment as to his motivation in doing this rather unusual thing of going to fight for the Taliban and perhaps al Qaeda in Afghanistan?

PELTON: It wasn't that unusual. What's unusual is that he's an American. There are thousands of Muslims who fight...

KURTZ: Well, that's what I meant.

PELTON: OK. There are thousands of Muslims who fight in wars around the world. What was interesting about John is, he's actually very gentle, a sort of unassuming person. He's not a militant person at all. I've known many fighters, and most of them tend to be rather bellicose. He was not.

KURTZ: Robert Pelton, congratulations on the interview and thanks very much for joining us.

PELTON: My pleasure.